1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, an information processing apparatus and a computer program for processing image data with the use of an image processing apparatus having a data protection function.
2. Description of Related Art
In the technology for outputting information processed by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC), a conventional method of displaying the information as images on an image processing apparatus connected by cables to the information processing apparatuses is now being replaced by a method of transmitting an output instruction over a communication network from the information processing apparatus to the image processing apparatus both are connected with the communication network. As the communication network is connected with two or more information processing apparatuses, one image processing apparatus can be used by those information processing apparatuses. Also, as two or more image processing apparatuses are connected to the communication network, one of them can selectively be used for outputting information.
The information to be handled by the image processing apparatus may often include highly confidential data such as a private company document. However, under the state where two or more information processing apparatuses use one image processing apparatus over the communication network, it may unfairly be intercepted or read out from the image processing apparatus by a number of unauthorized persons and hardly be protected from unintentional leakage. For compensation, an image processing apparatus having a data protection function for ensuring the secrecy of the data such as an image data with use of some techniques of encrypting the information prior to transmit over the communication network or of allowing the information to be outputted only when a user who instructed output of information directly operates the image processing apparatus is proposed. For example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-306273 is a technology of an image processing apparatus encrypting and storing information received from an information processing apparatus and when a user is authenticated from its entering of a password, allowing the outputting of the information.
Also, in recent image processing apparatuses, some of them have a function for storing the image data which has been outputted for forming as an image. An image processing apparatus for protecting such remained image data from being illegally read out by erasing or rewriting when the image data has been outputted and its process is completed is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-50660 (1984).
On the other hand, for outputting the image data to an image processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus has a functions for acquiring information about the image processing apparatus connected over a communication network, outputting the acquired information, accepting selection of the image processing apparatus by an operation of an operator who browses the outputted information, and transmitting an output instruction for instructing output of an image to the image processing apparatus to which the selection is accepted. For the purpose, a technology is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-187564 in which a configuration information about the image processing apparatus involving whether color printing is possible or not, whether printing on both sides of a sheet is possible or not, and which size of printing sheets is used has been acquired in advance and when the image processing apparatus is designated by the user operation on a screen on which information of the image processing apparatuses are displayed, allowing the user to easily recognize the configuration information of the image processing apparatus by outputting the configuration information of the designated image processing apparatus.
As described above, under the environment where two or more image processing apparatuses are connected with the communication network, when no protection of the data is needed, any image processing apparatus which has no data protection function can be selected for outputting an image. However, when the data has to be held in secrecy, an image processing apparatus having the data protection function has to be selected. It is quite difficult to select by view the image processing apparatus having the data protection function. Also, as the information of the image processing apparatus acquired by the conventional information processing apparatus does not include information related to the data protection function, it is difficult to select the proper image processing apparatus when the protection of the information processed by the image processing apparatus is necessary. In fact, problems such that the data protection function can be utilized by some users who exactly understand the condition of the image processing apparatus or even the data needs to be held in secrecy, it may be handled by an image processing apparatus having no data protection function are occurred. As the data protection function of the image processing apparatus is not effectively utilized, the security of the data will be declined.